Cayce Health Database

OVERVIEW OF LUMBAGO

Lumbago, the uncommon name for a
very common ailment, affects one out of every four people in the United
States. Even more surprisingly, one out of eight of our nation's people
loses work time due to this problem. Who would think that low back
pain could become so pervasive or so serious?

But the answer to the preponderance of a seemingly
simple ailment may lie, according to the information in Cayce's readings,
in a misunderstanding of the causes of low back pain. Usually an
individual afflicted with low back pain will rack his brain to determine
what could have caused a back strain, or what old injury might be making
itself felt again. Yet in the 49 lumbago cases for which Cayce gave readings,
only once did he trace the primary cause of pain to back strain. In all
others he noted that pain was arising in this area from factors increasing
the general toxicity of the entire body system, with the resulting toxins
settling primarily, in these cases, in the low back regions.

Specifically, in 26 of 49 cases, Cayce stressed poor
eliminations, particularly slowed or incomplete eliminations of the colon
tract, as the primary cause of the lumbago. In these cases he often described
a situation where the body's general lymph circulation (important in the
drainage of cell wastes) was slowed, causing an engorgement of the intestinal
tract and thus poor eliminations. Or he would mention colon pockets or
prolapse ('dropping') of a part of the colon as interfering with elimination
and therefore creating a toxic situation.

The second most commonly given cause (13 cases) was
due to infection or adhesions in some part of the body. Here the infectious
or scarred organ would give rise to an increase of mucous, the body's
natural fluid to help soothe irritated tissues and provide a medium for
bacteria-scavenging white blood cells; however, the excess mucous would
actually serve as a carrier for toxins. Those parts slightly genetically
weaker than others would naturally be susceptible first to the spread
of the toxic irritation. Cayce named infections in the upper respiratory
tract, teeth, and nose (nasal catarrh), or adhesions in the pelvic organs,
all as having been initial causes of lumbago.

The third and fourth most frequently given causes,
incoordination or unbalancing in the circulatory or nervous systems (5
cases), and overtaxation or overwork (4 cases), were often explained as
going hand in hand with the first two causes. In the cases of incoordination
it was sometimes difficult to tell which cause actually came first: the
unbalancing in these systems leading to general toxic build-up and decreased
eliminations, or toxicity creating the circulatory and nervous imbalances.
For further discussion of incoordination and unbalancing of the nervous
system, see Dr. William McGarey's excellent book, Edgar Cayce on Healing.

Finally, in reading 2533-3, Cayce gave the fifth named
cause of lumbago as being "by a wrench or by a fall...".

A seemingly greatly varied and unique collection of
treatments listed in Cayce's readings for lumbago become systematic and
clear when we examine them from the standpoint of the causes cited for
this ailment. The rationale behind the various treatment approaches can
be reduced to two primary aims: to detoxify the body, and to balance body
structure with the nervous system.

Detoxification was accomplished by balancing the body's
chemical system and by removing toxins from the body. Thus many remedies
were recommended (overall in these a total of 48 times) which would neutralize
acid toxins and encourage a better alkaline-acid balance (usually more
alkaline-producing compounds were needed), such as Milk of Magnesia, Eno
salts, Castoria, or Syrup of Figs. These would also help increase eliminations
since they were natural laxatives. Minute doses of Atomidine, taken in
cycles, was another treatment suggested 8 times to promote chemical balance
by its renewing effect on the glands of the body. [Atomidine when taken
internally should be used on the advice of a physician]. Other remedies
taken orally would help remove toxins by chemical attraction as the recommended
preparation moved through the alimentary tract and out through the bowel.
For instance, Cayce said (348-19), "Bismuth is that which absorbs poisons
and Magnesia produces an alkalinity in the system." At times external
treatments were also given to facilitate the neutralization and elimination
of toxins by local application to the low back area itself. Packs of many
kinds, especially hot salt, or castor oil or Camphoderm [equal combination
of Mutton Tallow (melted), Turpentine and Spirits of Camphor] were thus
indicated (19 times).

The balancing of the body structure with the nervous
system was accomplished primarily by spinal adjustments. Adjustments osteopathically
or chiropractically, and neuropathically, or manipulations of other kinds,
like massage, were the single most recommended treatment (25 times) in
the 49 cases. Violet ray over the lumbar area (indicated 11 times) or
the use of an electrically-driven vibrator over the whole spine (prescribed
9 times in 3 cases) would also have helped energize the nervous system.

[NOTE: The above commentary was written by Thomas F. Florian, D.C. &
Charlotte Lauda and is included in the Circulating File for Lumbago.]

Note: The above information is not intended for self-diagnosis
or self-treatment. Please consult a qualified health care professional
for assistance in applying the information contained in the Cayce Health
Database.

Edgar Cayce is considered the father of holistic medicine. Baar Products is the Official Worldwide Supplier of the Cayce Care remedies line of products developed from the Cayce health readings' recommendations.